Clothing Accessory

ABSTRACT

Accessory for attaching to a garment includes an elongate, flexible strip and attachment elements each arranged at a longitudinal end of the strip and partially within the strip. Each attachment element adjustably engages with the sheet or sheets of material at respective locations. Upon engagement of attachment elements at the respective locations on the garment, the strip connects the locations together, maintaining them in a stable, spaced apart relationship. In order to hem a pant or temporarily shorten a sleeve, the accessory&#39;s strip is attached via one of the attachment elements at a first location, and then the other attachment element is attached at a second distal location. The strip is positioned within the pant hems, temporarily reducing the circumference thereof. To do so, it should be wrapped over the front area of the ankle to maintain the back hem, or inside the sleeve linings on the seams adjustably placed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of clothingaccessories and more particularly to a versatile clothing accessory foruse with clothing, or sheets of cloth or fabric, in order to perform oneof a variety of different functions including making a temporary hem orcuff in an article of clothing, stabilizing a hem or cuff, maintainingspaced apart parts of an article of clothing in fixed relationship toone another, enabling the clothing or sheet of fabric to be handled,suspended or hung for dyeing, washing or storage, and other functionsthat arise from an apparatus that engages with the article of clothingor sheet of fabric at spaced apart locations.

The present invention relates even more generally to an accessory thatcan be used with fabric or other woven fabric sheet materials tomaintain spaced apart locations on the fabric or other sheet material ina fixed relationship to one another. The use of the accessory for fabricand other sheet materials is thus not limited to clothing or garments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the clothing art, there is often a need to adjust the length of agarment. A typical way that the length of a garment has been adjusted isthrough the use of a hem or cuff. A hem in the clothing art is oftenformed by folding under or over the edge of a garment and then sewingdown the edge to a remaining part of the garment to thereby shorten thegarment. For example, in addition to the legs of pants, shirts andjacket are also often hemmed to fit the wearer. However, there is amajor drawback in the aforementioned hemming technique, such that is notsuitable if one desires to make a temporary hem.

Making a hem secure also generally requires the use of a sewing machine,which many households do not possess. One could hire a tailor to hempants legs, but the cost of doing so is often prohibitive for arelatively cheap garment that might only be worn for a limited time.This cost is increased because, at least for children's pants, thestitching holding the cuff must be periodically, continually moved inorder to readjust the length of the pants once the child has outgrownthe hemmed pants.

One way of temporarily satisfying this need for a temporary hem is touse different types of exposed pins, such as straight pins. However, useof these pins on garments is not safe and should be avoided.

Moreover, the use of straight pins alone does not enable the formationof a stable temporary hem, i.e., one that is not likely shift or to comeapart during normal use.

Another way of temporarily satisfying this need is to use clips known inthe art, such as paper clips, to form a temporary hem. The use of suchclips is not effective, however. Most such clips are designed to securematerials with generally thin, flat surfaces. The clips known in the artare not adapted to clip thick material with uneven surfaces such asseamed fabrics. When thick material such as a pants leg is placedbetween the arms of a conventional clip, the clip generally becomesdistorted into a V-shape and fails to exert sufficient force to secure apant cuff.

Another problem that arises with pants legs is that for reasons ofsafety (when riding a bicycle or scooter), comfort (in the wind),fashion (to keep a slack properly draped when sitting or after risingfrom a seated position) and especially for keeping the pant cuff cleanand dry (holding the cuff above the level of the shoe bottom), a personmay wish to restrict the movement of a pant leg and more particularly acuff portion of a trouser. A boy riding a bicycle might tie an elasticband around his pant leg or stuff his pant legs into his socks. However,these approaches might not meet an adult's preference for refinement. Itwould therefore be helpful if the pant cuff could conveniently anddiscreetly be held away from the bicycle and the ground.

Furthermore, another problem with garments and specifically garmentsworn on the torso, such as shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets, isthat the sleeves may be too long for the wearer or the wearer simplywants to wear the garment with shorter sleeves. It is impractical forthe wearer to form a permanent hem and therefore it would be beneficialif a simple device is provided that can reduce the length of the sleevesand securely maintain the sleeves in their reduced length state.

Yet another issue with other types of hems, such as the hems of cuffs onsweaters, shirts and light weight jackets, is that a person sometimeslikes to hold the cuffs of their sleeves up when working outdoors, orfor warmer climates. They tend to slip down often because there isnothing to hold them in place. Lightweight blazers in the spring arepushed up for fashion and comfort. Sweaters especially tend to stretchat the cuffs, which makes them even more difficult by days end to keeppushed up. It would therefore be helpful if the sleeve cuffs couldconveniently and discreetly be held up away from the person's wrists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to hemming, cuffing or gatheringaccessories or devices which are safe to be used on garments, clothingand generally any sheet of material. The term “hemming” referencedherein encompasses cuffing or other processes in which the length of afabric on a garment is adjusted.

A general embodiment of an accessory for attaching to a sheet ofmaterial, which may be formed into a garment or article of clothing, inaccordance with the invention includes an elongate, flexible striphaving first and second longitudinal ends and two attachment elementseach arranged at longitudinal ends of the strip and partially within thestrip. Each attachment element removably engages with the sheet ofmaterial at a respective location. In use, upon engagement of theattachment elements at the respective locations on the sheet ofmaterial, the strip connects the locations together and maintains themin a stable, spaced apart relationship.

As such, in order to hem a garment or shorten a sleeve of a garmentusing the accessory, the strip is attached via one of the attachmentelements at a first location to the garment, then the strip ispositioned within the garment so that the strip is not visible whenviewing the garment from its exterior; and then the other attachmentelement is attached at a second location to the garment. The strip istherefore secured between two spaced apart locations on the garment andeither causes the formation of the hem or the sleeve to maintain ashortened state. The reduced circumference created by the strap over thefront of the ankle on the inside of the garment is what enables the pantcuff to stay above ground, or by the position in the sleeve in a higherposition on the wearer's arm and the shortening of the sleeve lengthmaintained during wear of the garment. The extensional distance of thestrap between attachment elements acts as hidden ‘suspender’ on theinside of the pant's legs or sleeves.

In one embodiment, clips, snaps or other similar attachment elements areattached to the attachment elements arranged at the ends of the strip.The clips or snaps are designed to engage with each other to eitherenable the strip to be formed into a closed loop, e.g., for handystorage around a person's arm, or enable multiple accessories to becombined together to form a chain of accessories. In the latter casewith the snaps, the attachment elements may be both attached to agarment and also attached to one another to thereby enable several partsof the garment to be maintained in fixed relationship to one another.

In another embodiment, the snap ends and the safety pins are replacedwith Pin Backings so that decorative and removable decorative Lapel orBadge pins can be used and displayed on the outside of the garment, yetstill keep the longitudinal strip hidden inside of the garment toperform its function as described above.

In another embodiment, the ends can be removable from the strip, so asto have separate components to allow for diversity or interchangeabilityin the strip material, such as a thick tape or leather strip.

In another embodiment, the strip element can have a hidden, thinbendable wire to help it retain the shape of the curve that the wearerdesires when attaching it to the two respective locations as well ashelping to keep it's shape when formed into a loop and worn on the wristas a bracelet when the attachment elements are temporarily affixed toeach other.

In another embodiment, the strip element is simplified to a singlestrip, with embedded clasps at each end for attaching lapel or badgepins. This embodiment works the same as the previous embodiments butdoesn't have the ability to close into a loop to form a bracelet.

In any of the previous embodiments, a thin wire could be incorporatedinside of the strap to give the flexible strip a moldable capability.This could be used as well, if someone were to fix two shorter strips tothe inside of the hem, and connect the strips together to form onestrip. The thin wire could serve to maintain the strip in a secureposition within the bottom of a pant leg hem, when not attached to eachother.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, together with the further objects and advantages thereof,may be best understood by reference to the following description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the figures in whichlike reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a first embodiment of an accessoryin accordance with the invention shown in use at the inside of thebottom hem of a leg of a pair of pants;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the accessory, without snap at ends shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a first embodiment taken along the line3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective end view of the accessory shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a second, shorter embodiment of an accessory inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of third and fourth smaller (single-ended)embodiment of an accessory in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view depiction of cooperating attachments elements ofmultiple accessories shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing how the accessory shown in FIG. 1 shouldlie inside of the hem, over the front of the ankle when the pants areworn, reducing the circumference of the actual hem, thereby creating ahidden internal hem;

FIG. 10 shows how the accessory, when attached to the inside of a sleeveof a sweater, light jacket, shirt or similar article of clothing, willelevate and securely maintain the hem of the sleeve;

FIG. 11 shows the interior of the sleeve, and an optional additionalaccessory with attachment elements;

FIG. 12 shows a plurality of the accessories used to hold front left andright side panels of a jacket together;

FIG. 13 shows an accessory used as a band with decorative features,closed into a loop, utilizing the cooperating attachment elements inFIG. 8;

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of an accessory that can be formed into aloop, with ends of molded hard rubber that act as pin backings forcooperating attachment elements, such as common removable lapel/badgepins;

FIG. 15 shows the accessory utilizing removable end elements and havingan extended point element with an opposing recessed cavity to receiveand form a loop. Likewise, it has a pin backing embedded with areceiving hole for a lapel pin; and

FIG. 16 shows alternative embedded cooperating attachment elements thatare similar to those used in FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein the same referencenumerals refer to the same or similar elements, FIG. 1 shows aperspective view of a first embodiment of a clothing accessory 10 inaccordance with the invention shown in use at the bottom hem of a leg ofa pair of pants. The clothing accessory 10 may be used to shorten thelength of a sleeve as well as for other uses, described below. Thedescription below relating to the use of the accessory 10 to form a hemis therefore only an exemplifying use and does not limit the scope ofthe invention. One skilled in the art would understand from thedisclosure herein the manner in which the accessory 10 is used toshorten a sleeve and for the other uses described herein without undueexperimentation.

Clothing accessory 10 generally includes an elongate strip of flexiblematerial 12 and attachment elements 14, 16 at respective longitudinalends 18, 20 of the flexible strip 12.

Attachment elements 14, 16 may be attached to an area near a bottom hem6 of a leg 8 of a pair of pants as shown. Since the location on thepants leg 8 at which the attachment elements 14, 16 are attached isselected by the user and thus adjustable, the clothing accessory 10allows the circumference of the hem 6 to be reduced as needed ordesired. In this manner, the hem 6 may be prevented from dragging at theheel on the floor as the user walks, provided the user selects asufficiently small circumference of the hem 6 via selection of theattachment locations of the attachment elements 14, 16 to the pants leg8.

The flexible strip 12 may be made of various materials, such as aflexible rubbery or foam material. In one particular embodiment, theflexible strip 12 is made of silicone. Another embodiment contains ahidden embedded wire suitable for bending and retaining into whatevershape the wearer desires, allowing for more precise management of thedevice when worn. Other specific materials from which the flexible strip12 may be made are, but not limited to E.V.A. or LATEX, for moreindustrial usages. Since the flexible strip 12 is highly likely to comeinto contact with a wearer's skin during use, the material from whichthe flexible strip 12 is made is ideally a hypoallergenic material. Thegeneral types of materials from which the flexible strip 12 may bemanufactured include thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic urethanesor thermoplastic rubbers.

The length of the flexible strip 12 is variable, and has no practicalminimum or maximum length. However, in preferred embodiments of theclothing accessory, the flexible strip 12 has a length of about 2 inchesor greater to a length of about 7 inches. Of course, if the accessory isused for holding a relatively large garment or sheet of material duringa dyeing or washing process, the accessory might be constructed with alonger flexible strip.

The flexible strip 12 is substantially planar, i.e., its upper and lowersurfaces that extend in the longitudinal direction are flat when theclothing accessory 10 is in an unstressed, natural state.

The cross-sectional shape of the flexible strip 12 is almost uniformfrom one end to the other, i.e., a generally solid rectangularcross-sectional form. However, at the ends 18, 20, the flexible strip isformed with the attachment elements 14, 16 partially arranged therein.For example, in preferred embodiments, a head portion 22 of theattachment elements 14, 16 may be embedded in the flexible strip 12during a manufacturing process. This embedding process may be achievedusing any type of plastic manufacturing technique wherein a head orclasp end 22 of a safety pin 24 or other similar attachment element iscovered by plastic material and secured to a remaining elongate portionof plastic material of the flexible strip 12. When embedding the head 22of the safety pin 24, there will be at least a thin covering of plasticover the metal parts of the safety pin 24 situated within the strip 12(see FIGS. 2-4).

The safety pin 24 is a preferred attachment element of the accessory 10herein because it is the one that can be hidden entirely within the hem,and may have any conventional form, with one major difference mentionedbelow. As shown in FIG. 2, the safety pin 24 comprise a first wire limb,back shank or leg 26 and a second wire limb, front shank or leg 28, thefirst leg 26 having the head 22 at one end and being connected at theother end through an integral loop or coil 30 to the second leg 28. Anend portion of the second leg 28 remote from the connection with thefirst leg 26 is pointed and releasably engaged with the head 22 when thepin 24 is in its closed state and free from the head 22 when the pin 24is in its open state. The pointed, remote end portion of the second leg28, when engaged with the head 22, is disposed and retained in a recessin the head 22 towards the first leg 26.

Pushing the fixed and pointed legs 26, 28 toward one another and thenlaterally displacing one relative to the other enables the pointed leg28 to be removed from or brought into engagement with the head 22. Incontrast to conventional safety pins, the inside flap, tongue orextending part that is usually present at the head 22 of the safety pin24 is not present to better facilitate access of the pointed leg 28 intothe head 22. Note that the pointed leg 28 does not come into contactwith the head 22 of the safety pin 24 in view of the presence of acovering of the embedding plastic material on the inner surface of thehead 22 (see FIG. 3).

The depth to which the head 22 of the safety pin 24 is inserted into theends 18, 20 of the flexible strip 12 depends on several factors. Mostimportantly, the depth of insertion is selected to enable the pointedleg 28 to be easily removed from and engaged with the embedded head 22.Moreover, the depth of insertion may be determined only after the lengthof the flexible strip 12 is determined. This depth may be determined byone skilled in the art in view of the disclosure herein without undueexperimentation.

The ends 18, 20 of the flexible strip 12 are provided with a slot 32extending inward from a lateral face 34 to enable the pointed leg 28 tobe inserted into the embedded head 22 of the safety pin 24. The slot 32communicates with a channel 36. A flap 38 is formed between the slot 32and channel 36 and is designed to securely retain the pointed leg 28 inthe channel 36 and prevent unwanted removal of the pointed leg 28 fromthe channel 36 (as may arise during movement of the clothing to whichthe accessory 10 is attached). The flap 38 may be provided with avariable thickness, e.g., thicker at the end faces 40 of the flexiblestrip 12 (area A in FIG. 5), and also it may decrease in thelongitudinal direction of the flexible strip 12, e.g., a gradualreduction in thickness.

More specifically, a step 42 may be provided in the flap 38 to provide athickness reduction in the longitudinal direction. The step may bespaced from the end faces 40 by a distance of about 5 mm to that thereis a thicker strip of about 5 mm from the end faces 40, which thickerstrip provides a soft locking feature (see FIG. 5).

FIG. 6 shows side view of a variation of an accessory 10A wherein theflexible strip 12A is provided with a bend 44 extending in a directiontransverse to the longitudinal direction. Such a bend 44 may, in certaincircumstances, enhance the use of the clothing accessory 10A. The bend44 may be situated, for example, at an approximate middle of theflexible strip 12A in the longitudinal direction. The angle formed bythe bend 44 is variable. There is virtually no limit to the angle formedby the bend 44, except for the obvious physical angle limitations, andthus the angle may be from about 10° to about 350°. Also, the possiblelength of the flexible strip 12A in an accessory having a bend 44 may beas small as about 1 inch.

Although the accessory 10 may be used as described above, in a preferredembodiment, there are additional attachment elements attached to theends 14 and 16.

In an embodiment attached to coil loop 30, FIG. 2 of safety pin 24, ofwhich attachment elements 46 may be snaps, magnetic closures and thelike as discussed below (see FIGS. 7 and 8). These attachment elements46 are designed to enable attachment of the safety pins 24 of a singleclothing accessory 10 to one another to form a closed loop, or oneclothing accessory 10 to another similar clothing accessory 10. In theformer case, the clothing accessory 10 may be formed into a closed loopthat can be worn around a person's wrist when in the attached conditionand then when needed for use to be attached to a garment, can beseparated and then be immediately ready for use (see FIG. 13). In thelatter case, shown in FIG. 8, the clothing accessories 10 can beattached to one another and to one or more garments and thereforeprovide a desired shape of the garment(s).

This ability of the clothing accessories 10 to attach to one or moregarments and/or to each other provides tremendous advantages whenhandling and wearing clothing. For example, there are generally nolimitations on the locations on a single garment that can be easily andtemporarily attached together via one or more of the clothingaccessories 10 so that different aesthetic appearances of the garmentcan be created. Different looks on a single garment can be quicklycreated using the clothing accessories 10. Moreover, multiple garmentsor sheets of fabric can be quickly and temporarily attached togetherusing the clothing accessories 10.

The attachment elements 46 may be snaps that are attached through thecircular opening defined by the integral coil or loop 30 of the safetypins 24. The snaps 46 may be suitably selected as a male snap at thesafety pin 24 at one end of the flexible strip 12 and a female snap atthe safety pin 24 at the other end of the flexible strip 12 (whichcooperate as depicted in FIG. 8). Alternately, the attachment elementsmay be a simple prongs 98 or a clip 110 type method where the ends areheld together to form a loop by means of an extended element 100 goinginto a recessed cavity 104 in a separate component 90 at the end of thestrip 12. Flat ends 102 connect with each other to form the loop.

In order to hem a garment using the accessory 10, of which a pant leg 8shown in FIG. 1 is an example, the accessory 10 is attached via one ofthe safety pins 24 at a first location at which the hem 6 is to becontrolled. This attachment involves releasing the pointed leg 28 fromthe head 22 of the safety pin 24, then inserting the point of thepointed leg 28 through the pant leg 8 and then inserting the pointed leg28 back into engagement with the head 22. Then the strip 12 ispositioned within the pant hem 6 so that the strip 12 is immediatelyabove the bottom edge of hem 6 and not visible when viewing the pant leg8 from its exterior. Then, the other attachment element 16 is attachedto the hem 6 facing of pant leg 8, i.e., by releasing the pointed leg 28from the head of the safety pin 24, then inserting the point of thepointed leg 28 through the pant leg 8 and then inserting the pointed leg28 back into engagement with the head 22, which is embedded around theinternal cavity 36. The strip 12 is therefore secured between two spacedapart locations on the inside of the pant leg 8 and at the hem 6. Thelength of the strip 12, relative to the circumference of the inside hemof the pant leg 8, enables the hem 6 to be adjusted and maintainedduring wear of the pants. In essence, the strip 12, being bent into acurved form against the front of the ankle, creates a hidden innercircumference of a smaller dimension than the opening of leg 8 andmaintains the hem 6 in a very stable and secure manner. The ends of thestrip 12 are secured to the pant leg 8 via the safety pins 24, with thepointed legs 28.

FIG. 9 shows the accessory 10 resting against the upper part 58 of thefoot of the wearer of the pants and shows that the hem 6 is now elevatedabove the bottom 60 of the foot. As such, when the user walks, the hem 6will not be dragging on the floor or ground and thus will not bedamaged.

With the accessory 10, a temporary internal hem may be provided in thepant leg 8. This temporary hem can be easily moved, e.g., as the childgrows, by opening the attachment elements 14 and 16, and removing itfrom engagement with the pant leg 8, and re-positioning them at a lowerposition on the pant leg 8. A device that provides a highly effectivetemporary pant hem that enables easy adjustment of a hem by reducing thecircumference hidden within the pant leg 8 is therefore provided by theinvention.

Variations to the basic embodiment of the accessory 10 are envisioned.For example, using a badge pin in combination with a locking clasp 92 inFIG. 15 that is embedded within the ends 90 or as in FIG. 16 set intothe back of the strip 12, it further reduces the chances that a childwill be able to remove the accessory 10 from the pant leg. This willreduce the chances that the child's mouth will be cut or the child'steeth will be damaged.

Decorative embellishments may be added to the accessory 10 to increasethe attractiveness of the accessory 10 or its marketing ability,especially when the accessory 10 is closed into a loop and used as abracelet, wristband or ankle bracelet without connection to clothing butrather only with a connection of attachment elements 46 to one another.

FIG. 13 shows exemplifying decorations for such a bracelet including aremovable faceplate 80 for graphics or other applications, an embossingor printed logo 82 on the backside of the strip 12 of the accessory 10,and decorations 84 on the attachments elements 46 or snaps. FIG. 13 alsoshows embossed circles with a small perforation 86 formed on the strip12 and which enable attachments 88 to be attached to the strip 12. Eachattachment 88 may include a ring at the end of a chain that removably orpermanently mates with the embossed circle with a small perforation 86.

The accessory in accordance with the invention therefore solves theproblem of temporary hemming or cuffing of garments in a quick, safe andaesthetically appealing manner, e.g., cuffing pant legs or sleeves ofsweaters, sweatshirts, shirts and jackets. It also is capable forforming a temporary hem that is easily adjustable. The invention alsoallows for uniquely configured and aesthetically pleasing ornamentaldesigns to be included with each hemming device. The invention alsoconstitutes a pant cuff protector for use with long pants for holding acuff of a pant leg away from the ground, and thereby preventing the cufffrom being damaged as it scrapes against the ground.

In addition to enabling the formation of temporary pant hems, thepresent invention can be used to perform other functions that are neededwhen handling fabrics and other sheet materials. For example, theaccessory 10 may be used to maintain the length a shirt cuff, gather at-shirt under the bust, gather a dress at the back for fitting thewaist, etc. The device provides, among other things, a function of asafety pin, but has the additional ability of holding two distanced orspaced-apart parts of a garment where a single safety pin cannot reach.

Moreover, the accessory 10 may be used when garments or sheets of fabricare washed and/or dyed, and treated during industrial production.

Even further, when the accessory 10 is used to retain a pant cuffelevated above the ground, it is an advantage of the present inventionthat it prevents the rear portion of the pant cuff from draping to thelevel of the shoe bottom. Especially when the pant leg is cut long so asto break heavily over the shoes of the person wearing it (see FIG. 9),holding the cuff away from the ground prevents the pant cuff from beingdragged through dirt and water and from being trod upon by the foot orshoe heel. At the same time, the accessory 10 may also help keep thepant leg from interfering with such things as a chain and sprocket of abicycle when placed on the outside of the ankle, rather than the front.It is an additional advantage of the accessory 10 that it does notrequire any rigid structure in order to exert clamping pressure to graspthe pant cuff, i.e., the imposed curvature of the flexible strip 12 andits retention at opposite ends by the attachment elements 14, 16, i.e.,the safety pins 24, creates sufficient control over the circumferentiallength of the accessory 10 relative to the length of the pant cuffbetween the attachment locations. Thus, there is no rigid clamp armstructure which could be broken off by mechanical impact.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the accessory when used to elevate the hem 62 of asleeve 64 of a sweater 66 or similar article of clothing above the wrist68 of the wearer.

The accessory 10 is attached to two spaced apart locations, wherein thedistance between these locations is greater than the length of theaccessory 10. As such, the sleeve 64 is bunched up as shown in FIG. 10,causing the hem 62 to be further spaced apart from the wrist 68.

FIG. 11 shows that an additional accessory 70 may be used in combinationwith accessory 10, accessory 70 being a single ended accessory 70 whichcan function as half of accessory 10. The additional accessory maysimply be a safety pin with an attachment element 46 that mates with anattachment element on the accessory, such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Byattaching accessory 70 and the upper attachment element 14, 16 ofaccessory 10 to the sleeve 64 at locations spaced apart a distancegreater than the total distance of the accessories 10, when matedtogether, the sleeve 64 will again be bunched up.

FIG. 12 shows a plurality of the accessories 10 used to hold the frontleft and right inside panels 72, 74 of a jacket 76 together, yetmaintaining a space therebetween. By enabling the formation of the openfront area, dyes or finishing materials being used to dye or finish thejacket 76 can better circulate through the panels forming the jacket,and also in and out of the jacket 78.

FIG. 14 depicts an end attachment 110 intended for use as a backing forcooperating attachments elements such as lapel pins, or what are alsocommonly known as badge pins. There are various types of standardbackings, such as metal military clutch backing, plastic or rubbercommon clasp backings or similar all intended to receive a pointed pinto hold decorative badges onto a garment.

FIG. 14 also shows a custom-designed adaption of a rubbery plasticmolded backing that has additional elements for attaching to accessory10. There is a flat element 112 that attaches to accessory 10 in adifferent way than described for previous embodiments, in that there isno safety pin 24, so it can attach to a multitude of flexible materials,such that are formed into a elongate strip shape as accessory 10 hasbeen described. On the outside ends, there are elements that protrude110 to be inserted into recessed cavities 18 and 20, of the molded ends118 for use when joining one end to the other 46 to form a bracelet orattaching to the end of another device of the same design. There is alsothe possibility of forming the end shape with embedded magnets on thevery ends, thereby removing the need for the prongs 98 and cavities 104,to perform the same function as the protruding prongs and recessespreviously described. Prongs 98 may be simple extended points that areslightly larger than the matching cavities or holes 104 on the receiverside so they can be inserted and stay attached to the opposing end part.Magnets could also serve the same purpose, but may be more expensive, ornot the best choice due to the magnetic element on the wrists coming incontact with electronic devices.

As described above, there are numerous uses for the invention. Yet anadditional use is for altering the length of garments for children,specifically pants for toddlers. Since children grow at a relativelyfast rate, parents typically tend to buy larger size pants for thechildren to grow into. The pants legs are initially too long and requirehemming to prevent the children from tripping over the ends of the pantsand possibly injuring themselves. However, use of a permanent hemrequires the hem to be removed as the child grows and may lead to theformation of a crease in the pants legs. Therefore, the inventionenables the formation of a temporary hem and allows the hem to beadjusted as the child grows. The embodiments in FIGS. 15 and 16 arebetter suited for use with children in that there is no flexible legpoint and a clasp can be used that is with a locking mechanism built in.As well it allows for exposed decorative badges, emblems and otherelements to be attached and exposed on the outside of the garment. Theend part in the embodiment shown in FIG. 16 can also be made with abulkier end as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, where as the variousclasps with internal locking mechanism are safely embedded 50 within theends 90 to make it difficult for small children to remove the devicewithout the aid of a parent. Butterfly or military clasps for badgesgenerally have such an internal locking mechanism.

FIG. 16 The embodiment shown has a very simple method of manufacture,utilizing the strap and embedded clasp. The illustrated clasp is abutterfly clasp to allow locking, but a simpler hard rubber or plasticclasp could also be embedded to replace the illustrated metal clasp.Backside of band 10 has a pin backing known as a butterfly clasp 92embedded slightly 50 at the ends, functioning as in FIG. 1 without theuse of safety pins as in FIG. 2. The pin entry side 94 of ButterflyClasp is on the opposite side of the Band. On the plain flat side, theclasp face doesn't need to be visible, just have a hole (94) to receivethe Badge. The badge pin is engaged with the backing through the pantleg, then pins into the front side 94 of the Butterfly Clasp on theinside of the pant hem. The flat sides of strip 12 can also beembellished as described in FIG. 13. Decorative elements can also beapplied 82 and 86 to this embodiment as described in FIG. 13

The invention disclosed herein is, of course, susceptible of beingembodied or conducted in many different manners, such as permanentlyfixing one or both distal ends of said strap to the fabric inside thegarments. For example, it is envisioned that a garment manufacturer can,in accordance with the invention, construct the hem of a garment withthe means to reduce the circumference with a tab or strap in the sameway as the invention functions. A cotton tape fixed at one side or theother can be tied together like a shoe lace, thereby creating the bridgeover the front ankle to provide a device in accordance with theinvention herein, and is contemplated to be within the scope and spiritof the invention. Additionally, the invention may entail making thestrap as two parts with a means of reconnecting separate parts so as toform the strap necessary in the preferred embodiments, e.g., two strapsor tabs with an adjustable connector could form a single strip 10 andachieve the same effect of reducing the circumference of the hem, andtherefore is also contemplated to be within the scope and spirit of theinvention. Shown in the drawings and described herein below in detailare preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood,however, that the present disclosure is an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention and does not limit the invention to theillustrated embodiments.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. An accessory for attaching to a sheet or sheets of materials,comprising: an elongate, flexible strip having first and secondlongitudinal ends, a first attachment element arranged at said first endof said strip, said first attachment element being arranged to engagewith the sheet of material at a first location on the sheet of material;and a second attachment element arranged at said second end of saidstrip, said second attachment element being arranged to engage with thesheet of material at a second location on the sheet of material spacedapart from the first location and at a distance on the sheet of materialfrom the first location that is longer than a distance betweenengagement locations defined by said first and second attachmentelements, whereby upon engagement of said first and second attachmentelements at the first and second locations on the sheet of material,respectively, said strip connects the first and second locations andreduces a distance between the first and second locations on the sheetof material while maintaining them connected to one another.
 2. Theaccessory of claim 1, wherein said first and second attachment elementscomprise removable decorative pins exposed on the outside of the sheetof material.
 3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein said first and secondattachment elements further comprise backing clasp pieces that engagewith said pins to retain the sheet of material therebetween.
 4. Theaccessory of claim 3, wherein said backing clasp pieces are attached tosaid strip.
 5. The accessory of claim 2, wherein said pins are attachedto said strip.
 6. The accessory of claim 1, wherein said first andsecond attachment elements have extended clip-type elements that engagewith each other to enable formation of a closed loop of said strip. 7.The accessory of claim 1, wherein said strip comprises at least twoparts separable at an intermediate location between ends of said stripand a mechanism for enabling selective attachment of said at least twoparts.
 8. The accessory of claim 1, wherein said first and secondattachment elements are partially embedded in said strip at said firstand second ends of said strip.
 9. The accessory of claim 1, wherein saidstrip is made of a flexible rubbery or foam material or silicone. 10.The accessory of claim 1, wherein said strip is made of a flexiblerubbery or foam material or silicone, with an embedded wire enabling thestrip to be formed or shaped into a wearer preferred shape for comfortor taste.
 11. The accessory of claim 1, wherein said first attachmentelement has a means of attachment to a pointed leg, engaging into aclosed position to which said pointed leg is retained in a portion ofsaid first attachment element within said strip and an open position inwhich a point of said pointed leg is separated from said strip andenables said pointed leg to be inserted through the sheet of material atthe first location, said second attachment element has a means ofattachment with a pointed leg in a closed position to which said pointedleg is retained in a portion of said second attachment element withinsaid strip and an open position in which a point of said pointed leg isseparated from said strip and enables said pointed leg to be insertedthrough the sheet of material at the second location, each of said firstand second attachment elements further comprises a head arrangedentirely within said strip and an additional leg connected at one end tosaid head and at an opposite end to an integral loop or coil thatconnects to said flexible pointed leg, each of said first and secondends of said strip includes a channel opening to an end face and a slotextending inward from a lateral face into communication with saidchannel, said slot and said channel being arranged to enable saidflexible pointed leg to be inserted through said slot into said channelto thereby be retained within said strip, and said strip furthercomprises a flap at each of said first and second ends formed betweensaid slot and said channel, said flap having a first portion thatextends a larger distance from said lateral face into said channelproximate said end face than a second portion adjacent an interior endof said slot.
 12. The accessory of claim 1, further comprisingadditional attachment elements arranged on portions of said first andsecond attachment elements outside of said strip and that enable theaccessory to be attached to another identically constructed accessory.13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein said additional attachmentelements comprises snaps arranged at or proximate ends of said first andsecond attachment elements outside of said strip.
 14. The accessory ofclaim 1, wherein said strip is provided with a bend in a middle region.15. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising a removable, decorativefaceplate attached to said strip.
 16. The accessory of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one embossed circle perforation formed on said stripand a decorative attachment including a mating structure that mates withsaid embossed circle perforation.
 17. A method for hemming a garment,comprising: providing the accessory of claim 1; determining a firstlocation on the garment at which the hem is to be formed; attaching thefirst attachment element to the garment at the first location;positioning the strip within the garment so that the strip isimmediately above the hem over the front of the ankle, or around theoutside of the ankle and not visible when viewing the garment from itsexterior; and then attaching the second attachment element to thegarment at the second location at an opposing side of the inside of thehem which is spaced from the first location a distance larger than adistance on the strip between locations at which the first and secondattachment elements attach to the garment.
 18. A method for shortening asleeve of a garment, comprising: providing the accessory of claim 1;attaching the first attachment element to the sleeve at a firstlongitudinal location; positioning the strip within the sleeve so thatthe strip is not visible when viewing the sleeve from its exterior; andthen attaching the second attachment element to the sleeve at a secondlongitudinal location spaced apart from the first longitudinal locationa distance larger than a length of a distance between locations at whichthe first and second attachment elements attach to the sleeve.
 19. Amethod for enabling a garment or sheet of fabric to be dyed whilesuspended, comprising: providing the accessory of claim 1; determining afirst location on the garment or sheet of fabric from which the garmentor sheet of fabric is to be suspended during the dyeing process;attaching the first attachment element to the garment or sheet of fabricat the first location; positioning the strip above a suspensionstructure from which the garment or sheet of fabric will be suspendedduring the dyeing process; and then attaching the second attachmentelement to the garment or sheet of fabric.
 20. A method for enabling agarment or sheet of fabric to be washed while suspended, comprising:providing the accessory of claim 1; determining a first location on thegarment or sheet of fabric from which the garment or sheet of fabric isto be suspended during the washing process; attaching the firstattachment element to the garment or sheet of fabric at the firstlocation; positioning the strip above a suspension structure from whichthe garment or sheet of fabric will be suspended during the washingprocess; and then attaching the second attachment element to the garmentor sheet of fabric.